Seal for a tiltable valving spout



SEAL FOR A TIL'I'ABLE VALVING sPo'JT Filed April 5, 1956 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FIG. 2 JACK w. SOFFER ATTORNEY April 22, 1958 J. w. SOFFER SEAL FOR A TILTABLE VALVING SPOUT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1956 FIG. 3

INVENTOR JACK W. 50F F ER A TORNEY SEAL FOR A TILTABLE VALVING SPOUT Jack W. Sotfer, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Development Research, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Mrssouri Application April 5, 1956, Serial No. 576,282

Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates to dispensing valves for gas pressure containers, and particularly to resilient seals for tiltable discharge spouts of the type shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 436,621, filed June 14, 1954, now Patent No. 2,779,516, issued January 29, 1957, entitled Dispensing Valves, of which this application is a continuation in part.

The type of resilient mounting seal shown in my said co-pending application has proved to be successful in maintaining a secure, reliable leak-proof seal. It seals not only around the dispensing spout but also around the opening in the container top in which the seal mounts the spout. Nevertheless, for special applications it may be desirable to seal the stem of the tiltable dispensing spout against leakage under higher than normal pressure differentials. The present invention serves this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view, greatly enlarged, of a resilient tubular sealing member embodying the present invention, shown unmounted and before assembly with the container top and dispensing spout.

Figure 2 is a sectional view similarly enlarged, showing the seal of Figure l assembled in place in the container top and mounting the dispensing spout in erect position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the assembly with the spout tilted to open position.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the resilient deformation of the seal when the valve is closed and also when the valve is in dispensing position. Before referring further to such deformation, reference will be made to the detailed parts and portions by the reference numbers shown in the drawings.

The tubular sealing member, generally designated 10, shown in Figure 1, is, in its general outline, proportions and construction, much like that shown in my co-pending application. It is formed, preferably by molding, of elastic, natural or artificial rubber. It comprises generally a tubular sleeve portion 11 which joins at its base an upwardly cupped, annularly enlarged, flexible-edged flange 12 having an upper sealing face 13 adapted to fit against the flat inner surface of a container top wall hereinafter described. Beneath the sealing face 13 is the seal body portion 14 which tapers to and terminates in an annular valve seating face 15.

The seal as a whole comprises an annular body formed about a central axis a-a, whose inner surface includes an upper cylindrical bore 16 in the sleeve portion 11, and a lower tapered bore 17 in the body portion 14 upward of the annular valve seating face 15. The upper I bore 16 and the lower bore 17 are separated by a constricting girdle portion generally designated 18 which projects inwardly toward the axis a-a and which will now be more fully described.

As shown in Figure l, the girdle portion 18 joins the upper bore 16 in a sloping or tapered upper shoulder 19; while its juncture with the tapered lower bore portion 17 is by means of a downward-facing lower shoulder 20.

Between the upper shoulder 19 and the lower shoulder 20 is a substantially concave annular sealing surface 21, bounded by an upper rim edge 22, which marks its juncture with the upper shoulder 19, and a lower rim edge 23 which marks its juncture with the lower shoulder 20.

The concave annular sealing surface 21 of the girdle portion 18 protrudes inwardly toward the axis a-a an amount varying from a maximum, at the rim edges 22, 23, to a minimum midway between them. As molded, and before the parts are assembled and the seal 10 subjected to deformation, the amount it protrudes at the rim edges may be in the range of, say, one-third or one-fourth of the total depth of the constricting girdle 18; and the protrusion midway between said rim edges may be one-third or onefourth less. The proportions may be varied to suit the requirements of the particular application.

As molded, the juncture between the outer surface of the sleeve portionll and the upper sealing face 13 is a fairly sharp one, substantially sharper than metal can be formed to a radius. This difference is taken advantage of as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 2 shows the sealing member 10 assembled with its sleeve portion 11 inserted upwardly through an outwardly-formed annular flange 24 rimming the central opening in a top wall 25 of a so-called mounting cup generally designated 26. Such mounting cups are sealedly affixed to low-pressure dispensers of the single-use type, to serve as their tops, by crimping in place within the mouth of such a dispenser. The flange 24 joins the top wall 25 in a smooth radius designated r, which is large enough to permit easy forming of the coated steel sheet material ordinarily used for such mounting cups.

A rigid valving spout, generally designated 27, is mounted by the seal 10 within the flange 24 which circumscribes the opening in the mounting cup 26. The valving spout 27 is preferably molded of a substantially rigid plastic material, and includes a tubular stern portion 28 having a cylindrical outer wall portion 29 penetrated near its base by a plurality of tapered stem passages 30, and closed at its base by a button-like imperforate valve head portion 31, whose upper edge closes against the annular valve seating face 15.- At its outer end, the valving spout 27 has a dispensing tip opening 32, beneath which it is flared to a downwardly-fonned shoulder 33 against which abuts the upper coil of a volute compression spring 34 whose lower coil bears against the upper surface of the mounting cup 26.

The protrusion of the girdle portion 18 inwardly toward the axis a-a, in the originally molded condition shown in Figure 1, brings the girdle portion 18 inward to so small a diameter that it is distended elastically by the cylindrical wall portion 29 of the valving spout 27 which it encompasses. It is thus so deformed that, if measured with the valving spout 27 inserted, it would be seemingly substantially the same diameter as that of the bore 16, which itself elastically grasps the cylindrical wall 29, and the upper and lower shoulders 19, 29 would seemingly disappear. However, from a sealing standpoint, there is a difference in the elastic restoring forces in these portions; and in the drawings Figures 2 and 3, this difference is depicted exaggeratedly as taking on marked physical dimensions.

From this aspect, as illustrated in Figure 2, the upper O which underlies the mounting cup flange radius r. This displaced material provides a sealing fill between the seal and the mounting cup flange 24.

Such a dispensing valve may be opened by tilting the valving spout 27, as shown in Figure 3. When open, gas-charged substance within the container to which such valve mechanism is sealedly mounted, will be permitted to flow past the seating face and through the tapered stem passages 39 to pass out through the dispensing tip opening 32. But if the tapered stem passages 3% are so small as to permit only a slow rate of How, the constrict- .ing girdle 18 will be called upon to seal against relatively high gas pressures during such time as the valve is tilted.

The angular rotation which accompanies tilting such as shown in Figure 3, must be accommodated within the seal 10, whose sleeve portion 11 rotates with the cylindrical wall 29 but whose body portion 14 remains substantially fixed in relation to themounting cup 26. The girdle portion 18 is close to'the center of rotation, and is therefore subjected to much of the deformation which accompanies tilting. Despite such deformation, the elastic restoring force within the constricting girdle portion 18, particularly as exerted by the originally concave annular sealing face 21 and its upper and lower rims 22, 23, prevents leakage during such deformation. The sealing action can perhaps be best explained as follows:

When the valving spout 27 is tilted to the left, as in Figure 3, the upper rim edge 22 on the left side is subject to even greater compression. On the right side, however, there is less pressure against the rim edge 22, and the restoring force within it causes it to extend some what as shown in Figure 3, graspingly following the cylindrical wall surface 29 against which it is presented. Conversely, the rotation accompanying such deflection to the left somewhat relieves the pressure on the left side of the lower rim edge 23, and the restoring force in this portion causes it to extend itself inwardly and press against the cylindrical wall surface 29; whereas on the right side the lower rim edge 23 will be even further compressed. Intermediate these sides, will be a gradual transition between the two conditions, with the formerly concave girdle sealing surface 21 therebetween held tightly and sealedly against the wall 29 of the valving spout 27.

The excess material from the girdle portion 13, which has .flowed under pressure beneath the mounting cup radius r, tends at all times to flow elastically back to the undeformed configuration shown in'Figure 1. Thus sealing is assured regardless of the degree of tilt of the valving spout 27.

Other significant relationships applicable to the valve means shown in my said co-pending application, are therein pointed out.

In dealing with concepts of elasticity of resilient members, illustration is difficult and individuals may differ in their explanations why a particular elastic member performsas it does under stress. This specification explains, as well as applicant can, the principles whereby successful results are obtained. Regardless of theory, tests have amply proved that the construction herein described affords the advantage of tight sealing under abnormally high gas pressures and under extreme degrees of tilt, without any anticipated disadvantages such as difiiculty of assembly or stiffness in operation.

Various modifications will occur to those familiar with the dispensing container art. Accordingly, the present invention should not be construed narrowly, but as fully co-extensive with the disclosure and with the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. For use with a tubular dispensing spout adapted to be mounted within the wall of a dispensing container, the spout being of the type having at its outer end a dispensing opening, having at its inner end a valve head, and having a smoothly cylindrical wall portion intermediate 7 the dispensing opening and head, the invention comprising an elastic tubular sealing member adapted to mount such dispensing spout within such container wall, the sealing member having a bore of sufiicient diameter to encompass and accommodate the cylindrical wall portion of such dispensing spout, said bore having a protruding constricting girdle portion having an annular sealing surface bounded by upper and lower edges protruding farther into the bore than said sealing surface, said annular sealing surface being substantially concave between its said upper and lower edges.

2. For use in rockably mounting a tiltable tubular dispensing spout within the wall of a dispensing container, such spout being of the type having at its outer end a dispensing opening, having at its inner end a valve head, and having a smoothly cylindrical wall portion intermediate the dispensing opening and the head, the invention comprising an elastic tubular sealing member molded to the shape defined in claim 1, the inner diameter of said upper and lower edges of the girdle portion as molded being so small as to be distended elastically by such cylindrical wall portion when such spout is in erect position, whereby, on the tilting of such spout the elastic tendency of said edges to return to their as-molded shape holds said edges sealedly around the cylindrical wall portion of such spout.

3. An elastic tubular sealing member as defined in claim 2, the said constricting girdle being located substantially at the level of the center about which such spout tends to rotate when pressed sideward, whereby, when so pressed, the upper edge on the side toward which pressure is exerted will tend to be further flattened and the lower edge on said side will tend elastically to resume its original shape, the shapes of the edges on the opposite sides being affected reversely, so as to maintain sealing around the spout regardless of the degree of tilt.

4. For use with a tubular dispensing spout adapted to be mounted in an outward flanged aperture formed in a flat wall of a pressure dispenser, such flanged aperture having a radius portion at its juncture with said flat wall, the spout being of a type having at its outer end a dispensing opening, at its inner end a valve head and an intermediate cylindrical wall portion, the invention comprising an elastic tubular sealing member adapted to mount such dispensing spout sealedly within such outward flanged aperture, the sealing member having a sleeve portion and an annular sealing face projecting sharply at the base thereof and adapted to press sealingly against such flat dispenser wall around such aperture, the sealing member having a bore of sufilcient diameter to encompass and accommodate the cylindrical wall portion of such dispensing spout, andaprotruding integral constricting girdle within said bore at the level at which the annular "sealing face projects from the sleeve portiomthe girdle having a concave sealing surface, .the cylindrical wall portion of such spout being of such diameter as to distendthetsealing member in the region of the constricting girdle and cause elastic flow of the seal against the 'radius of such flanged aperture.

sleeve portion and an annular sealing face projecting sharply at the base thereof and adapted to press sealingly against saidflat dispenser wall around such aperture, the sealing member having a bore of sufficient diameter to encompass and accommodate the cylindrical wall portion of 5 6 i said dispensing spout, and a protruding integral conthe constricting girdle and cause elastic flow of the seal stricting girdle within said bore at the level at which against the radius of said flanged aperture. F annula? f face projects q the sleeve por- References Cited in the file of this patent tion, the girdle having a concave sealing surface, the cylindrical wall portion of said spout being of such diame- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ter as to distend the sealing member in the region of 2,565,954 Dey Aug. 28, 1951 

